The Hickory Ridge Boy Scouts: Under Canvas

onishing statement. They continued to exchange uneasy looks, and then cast furtive glan

shiver; for after all he was the first to break the

ly; "mebbe we did miss some room, and after all there's somebody

y had really finished speaking; and of c

f the ghost proposed; Ted and Toby followed suit; and finally George, shrugging his shoulder

y about them again. Nothing was in sight, not even a trespassing bat, for the little creatures had all

out the right window

business-like air, "and it was exactly the seventh from the

rge, triumphantly; "but suppose

ed manner; "what I did remark, and I stand back of it still, was that if ev

ffed conte

o be shown, if I ain't from Missouri!"

, for a fact," said Elmer, as he looked carefully a

-hunting expedition; "but I give you my affidavy that I did see a face, a white

imagination some fellows

something, George!"

n such a thing to startle me more'n once. And when you shifted your head, why, you got out of focus, and the thing disappeared as you say, like a wreath of smoke. Now, I'm one

r while he still firmly believed he had seen a human face at the w

he window an

sun, because it never strikes this side of the house after noontime; and look at the heavy tre

and do it, then?" rem

expression to appear on his face. Possibly, in spite of his avowed disbelief in ghosts, Geor

admitted that it seemed useless wa

again; "and if we come up here to camp during the Thanksgiving holidays we ought to look into

d Chatz, with rapture, as though even th

ed the unconv

tle way from the house w

said; "or, if you feel like it, fetch the

the part of the scout master. But then Elmer was a privileged character, and often did things that mystified his chums, explaining later on, to their complete sat

up, as hang around here an

orts of queer things next. Must be in the air. Once that sort of thing begins to

of finding himself the target for these shafts of ridicule on the par

more'n she does any of the rest of us; and a

ounding dense foliage as he went in the direction of the spot where they had left Nancy and the wagon when approac

l the sacks of nuts loaded. When they saw what a splendid showing the c

rst cabin was built away back!" declared George, who could not see any reason t

gineered this plan we might have spent a hard day in the woods, and only broug

ith your little hatchet, Toby; it taketh you to

d the house, glimpses of which they could catch through small openings in

r," George ventured, and nothing furt

ething like a faint smile there; but even if the scout master had made any sort of discovery on

, as he surveyed the great load of filled bags that

; "the only thing that's bothering me is where Chatz, Ted and George can find ro

plained Elmer; "and if somebody gives me a hand we'll soon arrange a pla

rouble of carrying the extra sacks home just to drop them in the yards of the members of the Mallon crowd; Geo

tled to a share," Chatz remarked, that fine Southern sense of justice cropping up

hen they conducted that masterly retreat," Elmer added; "I'll never forget tha

at bunch of ghosth had it in for me on account of my breaking in

uts in his yard to-morrow a. m.," George continued, actually pu

t rained down in the

eaming that these things happened, and that he did fetc

om, and they all compare notes, won't the

?" Toby inquired, turn

help but figure it out as

the same over empty, just chucked a lot of nuts in to make 'em stand up," and George

, hoping they'll forgive us for frightening them, and won't hold us to a reckoning. I don't like knuckling down that way. I wish we thought to put a note in

ever, shoo

n their yards, and say nothing. If they ever ask us why we did it, let's say we thought it only fair they should have some of the proceeds of the raid

in this case all of the boys seemed to be satisfied to let him do as he proposed, though several privately dislik

re, seems like," suggested George;

draw such a heavy load, we ought to get there before d

the animal needed a good haul to take some of that extra spirit out of her. All aboard, fellows; those who can't get a

lot as they found

o fix himself firmly in his seat; "if she took a notion to cut up all o

you wouldn't have to question where you'd dropped, b

last look in the direction of the haunted house,

old the reins; "we'll come again and interview you, mebbe. Take

ad, Chatz turned to Ted, who was sitting in the middle again, having decided to cast his f

to the old house again!" but Ted only shook his head in reply, as though the subject was too deep